RE: The Problem With Evangelicalism
Hey Thabiti,
Did you notice how that list of responses from the All-Stars fell right into line? You could almost have written out the responses in advance:
1. CJ -- we need to be more cross centered
2. Don Carson -- it depends on how you define the question
3. Mark Dever -- we need a better understanding of the church
4. Tim Keller -- we need evangelicals to live in the cities
And so on...
I wouldn't presume to throw my hat into the ring with such august thinkers, but since you asked... I think the problem with evangelicalism is that we don't believe in the power of God's Word anymore.
In the words of Double Down Trent, we're like a bear with claws and fangs. But we're just gently batting the bunny around...
We have the Word of God and a promise that it will never return to Him void. It's a double-edged sword that always accomplishes its divinely appointed task. But most evangelical churches are ashamed of it. Most evangelical churches don't trust it. Most evangelical churches equate resistance to the gospel with failure of the gospel. And so we bat at the bunny with fluffy self-help sermons and references to stupid movies. As a result, there's an unbearable lightness to the church. It is vapid and shallow, devoid of the power God intended for it.
Amen!
I don't have any right to give Ghetto Passes like the ones Thabiti issued to Piper and Duncan, but if I could give one Mckinley would have it!
Jim
Posted by: Jim Hamilton | May 13, 2008 4:56:16 PM
So it sounds like what you're saying, Mike, is that we evangelicals are money and we don't even know it.
Posted by: Kyle | May 13, 2008 9:17:07 PM
Jim,
Don't fret. McKinley is bona fide ghetto!
And there's a rumor that somewhere in Mohler's library there is a stash of ghetto passes recovered during the conservative resurgence. However, you must know the exact number of volumes in Latin and German to be able to unlock the voice-activated secret safe. Mohler is saving the passes in case he and Dever need to make a hurried escape to da 'hood should suburban emergent types launch a coup in Louisville.
Posted by: Thabiti | May 13, 2008 9:56:01 PM
Kyle,
I'm gonna make Wayne Gretzky's head bleed for super-fan #99 over here.
I have no way to even tangentially connect that to the topic at hand, but it needs to be said.
Posted by: Mike McKinley | May 14, 2008 11:04:40 AM
Sorry I don't have time to develop this. But if you read Galatians. Galatians 3 screams out to me (and I did get to preach it once as a seminary trained layman) that the world was changed at the cross and tomb and humanity, even those who claim Christ just don't get it. Like the brothers in MacArthur's opening to Ashamed of the Gospel. They had wealth and a fine home, but they died alone, living amongst filth and garbage. We have GOD and live as if all we have is what we can scratch out for ourselves...if Allah wills it. Instead of my Brother willingly died so my Father could adopt me and love me as His very own. He did and He does.
My 2 bits,
In Christ Alone,
Greg
Posted by: Greg Bailey | May 14, 2008 2:58:00 PM